The visa policy of the United Arab Emirates allows citizens of certain countries to enter the United Arab Emirates without a visa. Citizens of certain other countries must obtain a visa from one of the UAE diplomatic missions. Alternatively, they may obtain an online visa through Smart Service or airlines.
All visitors must have a passport valid for at least 6 months, or 3 months if holding a residence permit. Citizens of Gulf Cooperation Council countries need only show a government-issued ID card.
Visa policy mapedit
Visa exemption (free visa on arrival)edit
Ordinary passportsedit
Holders of ordinary passports of the following countries and territories may enter the UAE without a visa for the following period:[1]
ID - May enter with an ID card. 1 - For holders of biometric passports without "Article 17" stamp. 2 - Days above are for holders of ordinary passports only, non-ordinary passports are visa-exempt for 90 days within any 6-month period instead. 3 - Applicable for both holders of ordinary passports and passports for public affairs. 4 - Only applicable for British citizens, British Overseas Territories citizens and British Subjects who have a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode.
Date of visa changes
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (December 2017)
All travellers in transit are exempt from entry fees for the first 48 hours; this short time may be extended for up to 96 hours for a fee of 50 AED.[29][30]
Substitute visaedit
Citizens of India with an ordinary passport valid for 6 months from the arrival date with a visa issued by the USA which is valid for a minimum of 6 months may obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 14 days. They may apply before departure.[31] Indian citizens may extend their stay for an additional 14 days.[20]
The UAE has also introduced a new Green Visa for people with bachelors degrees who earn Dh15,000 (4,084 USD) or more per month.
The five-year visa policy would offer greater stability and flexibility to middle-income workers in the education sector and attract new talent to the Emirates.[32]
The Golden Visa was invoked by the government of the United Arab Emirates in 2019,[33]
under Cabinet Resolution No.56 of Organization of Residence Permits for Investors, Entrepreneurs and Professional Talent, 2018.[34]
The UAE Golden Visa costs 136,000 USD for investors.[35]
Admission restrictionsedit
Citizens of Nigeria are required to hold a hotel booking or an accommodation address for the whole period of their intended stay.[20]
Citizens of South Sudan who hold a "business passport" are refused entry into the United Arab Emirates, but are allowed to transit in the UAE.[20]
Use UAE Visa for other countriesedit
The UAE visa or residence permit is accepted as a substitute visa and this visa allows simplified entry into the following countries:
Armenia - UAE residents may obtain a visa on arrival valid for up to 120 days.[36]
Azerbaijan - UAE resident may obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days if they have a residence permit valid for at least 6 months from the arrival date.[37]
Georgia - UAE residents and visa holders may enter Georgia without visa for 90 days within any 180-day period. UAE visa and/or a residence permit must be valid on the day of entry into Georgia.[38]
Kyrgyzstan - Citizens of Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tunisia and Yemen who are UAE residents can obtain a short-term entry-exit visa under a simplified procedure.[36]
Uzbekistan - Since June 2022, UAE residents with residency valid for at least 90 days can enter Uzbekistan visa-free for 30 days.[39]
^International visitors who spend one night at least in Dubai including air, land & sea visitors, excluding United Arab Emirates residents, local Emiratis and aircrews & marines
^Sharon Uranie (14 July 2015). "It's official! Visa-free travel to UAE for all Seychelles passports as of Thursday". Seychelles News Agency. Archived from the original on 30 November 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
^"Memorándum de Entendimiento entre la República Argentina y los Emiratos Árabes Unidos sobre Exención Mutua del Requisito de Visa para Titulares de Pasaportes Ordinarios" [Memorandum of Understanding between the Argentine Republic and the United Arab Emirates on the Mutual Exemption of the Visa Requirement for Holders of Ordinary Passports] (in Spanish). Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
^"UAE visa-waiver deal with Chile". UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
^驻阿联酋大使倪坚出席中阿扩大免签范围换文仪式 (in Chinese). Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United Arab Emirates. 19 December 2017. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
^"Detalji". Mvp.gov.me. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
^Agreement between the government of the Federative Republic of Brazil and the government of the United Arab Emirates on mutual visa waiver for holders of a normal passport Archived 2021-03-08 at the Wayback Machine, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil. (in Portuguese)
^"MoFAIC -- News -- UAE citizens exempt from pre-entry visa to Barbados". Mofa.gov.ae. Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
^"UAE, Mexico exchange MoU on visa exemption". Gulfnews.com. 11 October 2018. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
^"Ambasada Republike Srbije u Ujedinjenim Arapskim Emiratima". Archived from the original on 2021-02-24. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
^"Emiratis can now visit Paraguay without pre-entry visas". Archived from the original on 2019-09-01. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
^"Los colombianos podrán visitar los Emiratos Árabes Unidos sin visa, a partir del 5 de marzo". Archived from the original on 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
^Maryana Ahmadova (8 July 2023). "Azerbaijan, UAE initiate visa-free travel". Trend.Az. Trend News Agency. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
^"UAE and Ghana signed a visa exemption agreement".
^"UAE and Jamaica signed a visa exemption agreement". jamaica-gleaner.com. 2019-09-23. Archived from the original on 2022-04-14. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
^"UAE and South Sudan signed a visa exemption agreement". wam. 2019-04-23. Archived from the original on 2022-04-14. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
^"UAE and Papua New Guinea signsed a visa exemption agreement". Khaleejtimes.com. Archived from the original on 2019-09-03. Retrieved 2017-10-21.
^"Kenya and UAE signed a visa exemption agreement". Archived from the original on 2017-03-03. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
^"Visa and passport information - Air Arabia". Airarabia.com. Archived from the original on 2013-11-23. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
^"Visas". Air Astana. Archived from the original on 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
^"UAE visa information - Visa & passport information - Before you fly - Emirates". Emirates. Archived from the original on 2020-05-25. Retrieved 2013-12-20.
^"UAE visa - Etihad Airways". Archived from the original on 2013-04-12. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
^"UAE Visas". Flydubai.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-01. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
^"Turkish Airlines". Evize.turkishairlines.com. Archived from the original on 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2016-07-13.
^"UAE announces new visa rules for residents, jobseekers and tourists". Gulf Business. 14 June 2018. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
^"В ОАЭ отменили визы для транзитных туристов". Tourdom.ru. 14 June 2018. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
^"Azerbaijan grants UAE residents visa on arrival". 29 July 2018. Archived from the original on 2020-01-02. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
^"On Approval of the List of Countries, Whose Visa and/or Residence Permit Holders May Enter Georgia without a Visa for an Appropriate Period and under Appropriate Conditions". Archived from the original on 2020-01-02. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
^"Uzbekistan Visa for UAE Citizens and Residents". www.advantour.com. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
^"Visitor by Nationality - Emirate of Dubai 2017" (PDF). Dsc.gov.ae. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-03-28. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
^"Visitor by Nationality* - Emirate of Dubai (2014 - 2016)" (PDF). Dsc.gov.ae. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-06-18. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
^"Visitor by Nationality by years". Archived from the original on 2017-10-03. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
^"Abu Dhabi Hotel Report 2018" (PDF). Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism. 31 December 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.